Durham announces men's basketball schedule

July 9, 2013

University Relations

Chris Brooks
907-474-6805

Online Schedule

Alaska Nanooks head coach Mick Durham released the men's basketball schedule for the 2013-14 season on Tuesday, which features the annual Alaska Invitational, tournaments in Anchorage and California and the grueling 18-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference slate.

The Nanooks finished last season with a 16-12 overall record, was fourth in the conference standings with a 10-8 mark and advanced to the semifinals of the GNAC Championship. Durham, the reigning GNAC Co-Coach of the Year, will be entering his third season at the helm of the men's basketball program.

Prior to the regular season, the Nanooks get their first taste of on-court action with exhibitions on Nov. 8 and 9 against Northwest Indian College at the Patty Center. The following weekend, Alaska opens the campaign in Anchorage it faces Regis and Holy Names, Nov. 15 and 16 at the AT&T Jamboree.

The Alaska Invitational, which the Nanooks won a year ago for the first time ever, will take place Nov. 21-23. The three-day, six-game event will feature games against Mary, Emporia State and Fresno Pacific.

Once again this season, Alaska will take to the road over the Thanksgiving holiday as it will compete in the Cal Baptist Tournament in Riverside, Calif., Nov. 29 and 30. The 'Nooks will battle Azusa Pacific in a neutral-site contest before hitting the floor with host Cal Baptist the following night.

“I believe you always want your non-conference schedule to prepare you for league play and I believe this one will,” Durham said. A couple neutral games in Anchorage, a tough two-game road trip to California at Thanksgiving and our own tournament field an excellent group of competitors.”

The Nanooks kick off December with their GNAC opener on Dec. 7 at in-state rival Alaska Anchorage. Since Durham's hiring in 2011, Alaska and UAA have been separated by just 4.5 points per game in the four meetings will all four contests being decided by six points or less.

“We open GNAC at UAA the first week of December and this schedule will have us ready,” Durham said.

The 2013 calendar year wraps on Dec. 19 when Alaska fits in one final non-conference home game in with Northland International. Alaska will look to head into the holidays on a high note once again this winter as they throttled Multnomah 124-59 in the team's final game of 2012.

GNAC play resumes Jan. 2 when the Nanooks host Simon Fraser in the first game of 2014. Two days later, Alaska welcomes in last year's NCAA West Region champions and national semifinalist Western Washington in what will be a rematch of last season's GNAC Championship semifinals. The lone defeat for WWU during the regular season a year ago came on Feb. 21 when the 'Nooks stunned the then No. 2 Vikings 77-73 in Fairbanks.

The schedule remains difficult the ensuing week as Alaska travels to take on the NCAA West Region finalists and defending GNAC champions Seattle Pacific on Jan. 9, followed by a Jan. 11 matchup at Montana State Billings.
Following a two-game home stand Jan. 16 and 18 against Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene, Alaska heads out on a four-game road trip, its longest of the year. The first half of the GNAC schedule rounds out Jan. 23 and Jan. 25 at Saint Martin's and Western Oregon and the second half begins Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 at Western and north of the border at SFU.

Five of the final seven conference games will be played at home as the Nanooks host MSUB and SPU on Feb. 6 and 8. The final two road games take place Feb. 13 and 15 at NNU and Central.

Returning home a week later, the Nanooks welcome in WOU and SMU on Feb. 20 and 22 and will play in the second game of a double-header with the women on both nights. The regular season comes to a close Feb. 27 with the second of two meetings with UAA.

The 2014 GNAC Men's Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 5-8 at Marcus Pavilion on the campus of Saint Martin's in Lacey, Wash. The NCAA regional will take place March 14-17 at the region's top seed and all eight regional champions will advance to the Elite 8, which will be held at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., March 26-29.

For more information, contact Chris Brooks at cpbrooks@alaska.edu.